Oven.



R. E. VALENTINE.

OVEN.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-24,1912.

Patented June 15, 1915.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

R. E. VALENTINE.

OVEN.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.24,1912.

Patented June 15, 1915.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

attmup R. E. VALENTINE.

ovsm.

APPLICATION FILED IAN-241 IQIZ- l 143, I. 5 1 Patented June 15,

. 6 SHEETSSHEE Patented June 15, 1915.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 5- OVEN.

R. E. VALENTINE.

APPLICATION FILED 1AN.24. 1912.

R. E. VALENTINE.

OVEN.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.24.1912.

1,143,151 Patented June 15, 1915.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

RALPH n. vn-Limrmn, or BATTLE CREEK, MICHIGAN, nssrenon. ronnnnoee rons'rnn com rLAKncomrANY, or narrnn cnnnn, MICHIGAN.

L I ovnn.

racemes June is, 19115.

Application filed l anuary 24, 1912. Serial No. 673,215.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RALPH E. VALENTINE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Battle Creek, liIichigan, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Ovens, of which the following is a specification.

Thisinvention relates to improvements 1n ovens.

It relates to ovens particularly designed for the baking of shredded wheat blscults or flake cereal -biscuits,'although the oven is admirably adapted to a'great varlety of uses.

The objects of the invention are first, to

provide an improved construction of oven in which the heat can be effectively regulated and controlled and the heating can be done with great economy by direct circulation'of the products of combustion from the furnace; second, to provide an improved pan support and -conveyer means for such an oven; third, to provide improved feeding devices for-delivering the bake pans to suchan oven; fourth, to provide improved dischargedevices. for discharging the contents from such an oven. Y

Further objects, and objects relating to details and economies of constructionand operation will definitely appear from the detailed description to follow.

I accomplish the objects of my invention by the devices and means described in the following specification.

The invention is clearly defined and pointed out in the claims.

; A structure constituting a preferred embodiment of my invention is fully illustrated in the accompanying drawing, form- ]ing' a part of this specification, in which:

Figure I is a side elevation view of an oven embodyingthe features, of my invention. Fig.

' ing taken in section,

. machine II is a vertical longitudinal detail sectional elevation through such an oven taken on a line corresponding to. line 2 2 of Figs. III and XI; Fig. HI is a detail transverse sectional elevation partially in broken section, taken on a line-corresponding to line 33 of- Figs. 1, II and XI. Fig. IV is an enlarged detail view of the feeding mechanism for deliverin'g'the bake pans to the oven, the

wall portions and certain of 'theshafts betol-ine 4-4 of Figs. VI and VII, the main parts in this connection being shown in full lines. Fig. Vis an enlarged detail to line 55 of Figs.

on a line corresponding sectional view taken on a line corresponding IV and VI, showing the details of the driving means of the feed mechanism. Fig. VI is an enlarged detail plan view in broken section of the feed mechanism leading to the oven, the same I being taken on a line corresponding to line 66 of Figs. II, IV and VII. Fig. VII is an enlarged detail sectional view on a line corresponding to line 7-7 of Figs. II and IV of the feed mechanism'at that point. Fig. VIII is a detail sectional view on line 8-8"'of Fig. VII, showing the chain guides and other related stops and supports. Fig. IX is an enlarged detail longitudinal vertical sectional view through the dehveryfor discharge portion of the oven apparatus,

showing how the pans are automatically discharged- Fig. X is an enlarged detail sectional View on a line corresponding to line 10-10 of Fig. III, showing the damper regulating means for controlling the flues to the chimneys and to the oven. Fig. XI is a detail sectional plan view on a line corresponding to line 1111 of Figs. I, II and III, showing the damper means for .controlling the flues and the relations thereof and of the flues the one to the other. Fig. -XII is an enlarged detail perspective view of one of the pans which is handled by this improved ove Fig. XIII is an enlarged detail transverse sectional view on line 7 13-13 of Fig. XII, showing the means of coupling these parts together. Fig. XIV is a detail transverse sectional view on; line 14-14 of, Fig. XIII, showing details of the pan, its cover and molds contained therein.

' In the drawing all of the sectional views are taken looking in the direction of the little arrows at the ends of the section lines and similar numerals of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the numbered parts of the drawing, my improved oven structure is supported on a sultable foundation Land is made up of a base 2 which contains a series of furnaces 33'3, six in number, coupled in pairs, of any usual or desired construction, the same being here illustrated in conventional form. A series of chimneys 4, three in number, are'placed back of the furnaces, and-the furnaces are connected thereto by flues 5, one chimney serving for two of the furnaces. as. clearly appears from a consideration of Figs. I, III and XI. A

flue connection 6 is between the body of the furnace and the base of the chimney 4. flue leads directly up from the furnace to the oven above: to deliverthe hot products of combustion directly thereto.

A damper 8 controls the flue in 'the' chimney, and a damper 9 controls the flue 7 which leads from each furnace up to the oven above. Horizontal rods. 10 extending through suitable apertures in the walls of the furnace and chimney connectto these dampers for controlling the same. [A rack 11 connected to each rod 10 is controlled by the actiomof a pinion12, which pinions are carried inpairs on a common shaft 13 suitably supported on brackets outside each furnace, the samebeing controlled by a hand chain 14 on a sprocket wheel13' within easy reach of the operator.

"The oven 15 is of considerable height, extending in the present instance through three stories of a building, the floors of which 15' 15 are indicated in Figs. I and IL and are controlled by-suitable chain connections' 18 extending through the floors below.

An inlet opening or doorl19leads intothe oven, at aconvenient height from the second floor 15', and a discharge door or opening 20 is atthe opposite side.

Within the furnace is an endless conveyer 21 made up of pairs of sprocket chains extending in loops over'driven sprocketwheels 22 supportedon suitable shafts 27 that'extend out into bearings at each side of the,

oven toward its top. The conveyer 21 loops under sprocket wheels 23 disposed in pairs at'ea'ch end of shafts 33 at the bottom. The

conveyers pass down at the discharge side of the oven. 3 Idle sprocket wheels 24 on shaft 24' and pairs of wheels 25-2525 supported on idle shafts 25' are disposed in the lower part of the oven to support and guide the conveyer on its return to the feeding point and idle sprocket wheels-26 supported on shaft 26. The direction of rotationis indicated by the arrow at the left of Fig. II,- being up on the intakeside of the oven and down on the dischargeside. The transverse shafts 27 are each 3 provided with bevel gears 28 which are driven by. the intermeshing bevel gears 29. The

gears 29 are carried on the longitudinal" driving shaft 30 which is supported on suit-- able boxiiig 31-31 at intervals along the Side of the oven, and are driven by the pulley 32' or by any suitable means as a chain and wheel.

f Tension is maintained on the conveyer by supporting the transverse shafts 33 on pivoted arms 34, the same being pivoted at 35,

and weights 38 at the opposite end preserve the required tension. There is an arm and weight for each downwardly depending loop of the conveyer, and the shafts 33 play in slots 33 at the sides of the oven, whereby an even tension is preserved upon the conveyer throughout its travel. I

Carriers 39 on each chain are connected together by cross bars 40, and are -pivoted at 41 41 between the chains of conveyer 21 which are in pairs for carrying these pivoted carriers. The bottom cross portions of these carriers are slightly upturned to afford a retaining means for the bake pans that are delivered thereto. veyer 42 with projection attachments 43 on certain of the links serves to carryand de liver the bake pans 63 (see Fig. IV) t0 the carriers 39 of the conveyer 21. The endless conveyer 42 is carried by a pair ofsprocket wheels '4444 at one, end and sprockets 4545 at the opposite end. The sprocket An endless conwheels 44 are supported on a shaft46 which is carried in suitably projecting brackets 46' 46 in proper position to deliver the-bake pans to the carrier 21 within the oven. The

sprocket wheels 45 45 are supported on.

the shaft bearings.

47 which is supported in suitable The Shaft 47 is driven by. sprocket chains 49 over the sprocket wheel 48 from the sprocket wheel 50, which is supported on the shaft 51. A pair of these'chains serves to drive these parts perfectly even to deliver the-bake pans in perfectly square position into the oven. The shaft 51 is supported in suitable bearing brackets 52 52 at each side thereof See particularly Figs. IV, V and VI. The shaft 51 is driven by the gears 56 which are driven by suitable connections from the bevel gear 55 which is driven by bevel gear 54 on the vertical shaft 53. The vertical shaft 53 is driven by the gear 58 which intermeshes with the bevel gear 57 on the main driving shaft 30.

An auxiliary endless conveyer 59 is made up of a pair of sprocket chains carried on sprocket wheels 60 at one end and on.

- sprocket wheels 61 at the opposite end. The

sprocket wheels 61 are supported on the shaft 47 already described. The sprocket wheels 60- 60 are supported on the shaft 62 This conveyer is driven by the same connection that drives the conveyer 42. This auxiliary conveyer comprises wooden slats and is very light, as it is not required to withstand the high degree of heat to which the main conveyer is subjected iii-delivering.

are carried by the conwhich are supported on an extension 65 of the brackets 46. Y An angle bar 66 serves as a support for cross bars 67 which carry the series of the said rollers 64 (see particularly Fig. IV).

' Within the oven are upright guide and stop bars 68 made of angle bars which are joined together by suitable transverse bars 68 disposed therethrough at top and bottom, being secured to pairs of'arms 69 at the bottom and to the. pairs ofarms 70 at the top. These arms extend from bottom and top respectively of-the guide bars 71. The guide bars 71 are provided with-side flanges which diverge at 72-73 at the bottom to-r'eceive the upwardly traveling chain, and also diverge at 747 5 at the top to permit the chain' to be passed freely up and yet be properly retained at the receiving point to insure correct engagement of each carrier with the pans as they are successively delivered.

Laterally projecting ears 76 serve as a securing means for attaching these guide bars or plates 71 to the sides of the oven, three pairs of these beingprovided for each of the said guide bars 71. Stop bars 68 are coupled together by an angle bar 77, which carries the cross bars 79 which extend forwardly toward the cross bars 66 inwhich are journaled the rollers 78. A gap is left between the twosets of rollers for the passage of the cross bars which couple the carrier sides together. 1 It will thus be seen that the chain of the carriers may pass upwardly betweenthe sets of rollers 6478 and pick up'by their. projecting ends the pans 63 .which are delivered thereto by the conveyer 42,'as before described.

As the carriers are pivoted and hang -down, they 'serve' tocarry the pans 63 through the oven up and down from" front to rear until they come to the'discharge' opening 2-0. a

At the discharge opening 20, the deliveryapparatus is substantially duplicated, except,

that the rollers are. on an inclinedownwardly "and outwardly for discharging the bake pans out of the oven. The guides '71 are'.at each side and secured in the same way,see'

"particularly Fig. IX. An angle guide bar :80 corresponds to the guiding stop bar 68 and "to this is secured ahorizontal bar 81 corre :spondingjto bar 7 .7 on which are supported bars 83. A corresponding bar 89' is onthe opposite side and carries rollers 85 on the ,inclined cross bars 86, which are separated 6 "When the carrier descends, the bake pans 63 the discharge rollers 82011 the inclined cross from the inclined cross bars .83 to permit the carriers to descend between the same.

come into contact with, theinclined rollers end-are discharged downwardly and outwardly to a-"suitable conveyor 87. Thecar-i rier 87 iscarried on the .shaft 8 8 whi'chsup- 'carry halfof the molds 98.

The carrier 87 is drivenin precisely the same manneras the carrier which feeds the pans to the oven except it conveys from the oven and it is thought not to be necessary to detail these parts. The vertical shaft 91 is driven from the horizontal shaft 92 by the intermeshing bevel gears 93--94, the shaft 92 being driven by the bevel gear 95 from the bevel gear 96 on the vertical shaft 53 (see particularly Fig. I for these details).

The pans 63 are specially constructed and provided withcovers 97, and the pans 63 carry half molds 98 and the covers 97 also These parts register together by the fitting of the cover within the pan, and projecting pins 99 on the cover engage the notches 100 on'the upwardly turned flanges at the sides of the bake pan to secure the longitudinal register,

the flanges fitting the one within the other various devices are capable of. great modification without departing from my'ingention.

I believe'the. s ecific form in which I have shown the di erent parts and their. combinations to be preferable to any other, and desire to claim the same specifically. I desire, however, to claim the invention broadly,

- as pointed out in the appended claims. .The ,..pans may be delivered into this oven by the hands of an operative, although that would be a tedious processand would involve considerable risk v and waste over the methodjof Y delivering the same by the conveyer. Also an operative might, by proper devices, withdrawthe pans from the oven Whenthey are delivered at thatpoint, but the devices which I have made'use of are automatic and of the highest utility, resulting in' great saving of labor and insuring high speed in the operation of'the oven, which is made of such capacitythat the chain conveyor there- \in has a comparatively rapid movement.

' I desire to state that the-same devices I. ai as IIeW a-n'd desire to secureby Let- -tors Patentis: l p 1. In an oven apparatus, the comb nation of a suitable oveny-a suitable endless con- 12a might be made use'of in'ovens otherwise heated, but I'believe they are especially well 4o fied,

3. In an oven apparatus, the combination.

veyer disposed within the said oven and moving upward at the intake side and. downward at the discharge side; suspended carriers thereon, the ends of each of which are 5 connected'by a suitable rod and which are provided with depending engaging portions to engage and convey a pan; a divided support with suitable rollers disposed at the intake'side of said oven in the ascending path of said conveyer, one portion disposed without the said conveyer and the other portion disposed and supported within the said c onveyer; feed conveyer means for delivering bake pans to the said support timed to cooperate therewith whereby said pans will be picked up by the rising carriers; and discharge devices for the said oven disposed at the discharge side in the descending part of said conveyer comprising a divided sup:

,port, one portion of which is disposed without the said conveyer and the other portion of which is disposed within the same, the said parts being inclined outwardly to automatically discharge the bake pans from the descending conveyer, all coacting substantially as described and for the purpose spec1-- fied.

2. In an oven apparatus, the combination of a suitable oven; a suitable endless con! 3o veyer disposed within the said oven and moving upward at theintake side and downward at the discharge side; suspended carriers thereon, the ends of eachof which are connected by asuitable rod and which are '35 provided with depending engaging portions to engage and convey a pan; and discharge devices for said oven provided with suitable pan engaging rollers, all coacting substantially as described and forthe purpose speciing said carriers, driving sprocket wheels in y the upper-part ofsaid oven for conveying,

- the same, over'which the endless conveyer is looped; idle sprocket wheels carried on I 'gshafts extending: transversely of said oven,

levers vpivoted to the Walls of saidoven in which said shafts are journaled, and suitable weights disposed on the ends of said. levers whereby "the. slack from said conveyer is taken up; suitable guides-for the saidcon- Qveyer chains disposed at each side of the oven at the intake and discharge side there- 65. of, with suitable iced and discharge devices port to be taken up successively by the said tially as described for the purpose specified. 16

fl a'c ingsubstantially as described for th P p e specified;

of suitable conveyer chains, pan engaging 7o supports carried by said chains, rodsconnecting opposite pan engaging supports; suitable guides therefor; supports projecting with in the oven for supporting pans to be engagedby the said carriers; and endless con-, veyer s for delivering pans to the said supconveyers 'so that the same can be fed one at a time automatically; and suitable spacing devices for distributing the pans in such position whereby they will be taken up by p the said conveyer one at a time.

6. In an oven apparatus, the combination of a suitable oven provided with intakeand' discharge'openings therein, an endless con- '85 veyer disposed within the said oven and 1 moving upward at the intakeside and down- I v ward at the discharge sidethereof, said conveyer comprising a pair of carrier chains, pan engaging members carried by said chains and connected by' rods, a support carried 7 by the wall of the'oven, a set of rollers carried by said support adjacent the intake iopening of said oven, a second support 'carried by the' wall of the oven, and a second set of rollers carried by 'said second sup- ,port'in linewith the first set of rollers, feed conveyer mechanism carrying baking pans to said supports whereby they will be picked,

up by the rising pan engaging members, said conveyer mechanism being disposedin alinement with said rollers so as to deliver the pans directly thereon, and driving means for said endless carrier, all coacting substan- 7. In an oven apparatus, the combination of a suitable oven provided with intake and discharge openings, an endless conveyer disx 1 posed withinthei said oven and moving upward at the intake side and downward at the discharge side thereof, said. opnveyer 'com- 9 prisinga'pair of carrier chains, pan engaging members carried bysaid chains, rods connecting'rsaid pan engaging members, a I divided support carried by thewall oftheoven adjacent the intake opening therein, said divided support being providedwith suitable rollers,'a. feed conveyer'in line with said, rollers for delivering pans thereto whereby theywill be picked up by the rising- 12? pan engaging members, said rolerslbeing spaced apart to permit. the rods arried by thecarrier chains to pass therebetween, and

means for driving said end-less conveyer, all. 2

8. Inan oven apparatus, the combination of a suitable oven provided with intake and 'ward at the intake side and downward at the discharge side thereof, said endless conveyer comprlsing a pair of carrier chains, pan engaging members carried by said carrier chains, rods connecting said pan en aging members, a divided support carrie by the walls of said oven adjacent the discharge opening therein, rollers carried bysaid divided support in position to be engaged by the descending pans, said rollers being spaced apart to permit the rods carried by said carrier chains.-to pass therebetween,

said support being inclined downwardly toward the discharge opening, conveyor means in line with said rollers for receiving 15 and carrying away the -pans discharged 7 therefrom, and driving means for'said endless conveyer, all coactingsubstantially as described for the purpose specified.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set 20 

